Numerous arrangements have been proposed for cocking the hammers of breakdown or break open firearms (U.S. Pat. Nos. 767,557; 714,193; 840,507; and 1,143,612).
In all prior art arrangements, one of the main factors making cocking of a break-open firearm difficult, has been excessive friction between the numerous working parts. Usually, a cocking rod operates against a portion of an an intermediate member, which in turn forces the hammer back against the force of the hammer spring. Prior art arrangements, to date, have not provided a simple and easy to operate system which allows the cocking rod to operate directly against the hammer strut, thereby substantially reducing friction and easing the cocking effort considerably.